Friday, January 11, 2013

my response to rep. gingrey

This letter is in response to comments you made on Thursday morning regarding the topic of "forcible rape." While there are dozens of things wrong about these comments, one particular portion of your statement offended me personally. It is this personal impact that leads me to write you this letter.

You see, I was diagnosed with infertility nearly four years ago. I sought the help of countless doctors in my husband and I's quest to have a child, and never once was I told to "relax" by a medical professional. I was never told to drink more wine or be less uptight. Why is that Congressman? That is because these things bear no significance on my disease. In case you have not heard, infertility was classified as a disease by the World Health Organization in 2009. A disease for which there is currently no cure.

I would have loved to drink a glass of wine and have it "cure" my infertility. Or gone on a trip. Read a book. Taken a yoga classes. The list goes on. I can name hundreds of things I did or my husband did over a three-year period that involved relaxing but did not result in us getting pregnant - or even resulted in me ovulating. What DID help me to ovulate was proper medical care, from professionals who stuck to the facts and did not include their own personal opinions or agendas in our treatment plan. It troubles me to know that you not only have these ideas, but that you shared them with patients. It troubles me more to know that while you no longer practice medicine, you are now in a position of power that allows you to use those myths (which you believe to be fact) to create laws that could impede couples from receiving correct and timely treatment for infertility.

As a doctor and as a Congressman, you took oaths to your fellow citizens: to respect and represent them. You have done neither with your statements. Instead, you have turned your back on your constituents, particularly women. You have disrespected them. And you have perpetuated myths that the infertility community works long and tirelessly to dispel.

I urge you to apologize for your offensive remarks. Then, I encourage you to learn more about infertility. This way, you are better prepared when RESOLVE visits you on Capitol Hill on Advocacy Day.

11 comments:

I love you Katie and your strength to stand up for what you believe in. This is a battle no one should fight. We have had 2 doctors and our pastor to tell me to drink and relax. As you know, that's a Saturday night for me and obviously its not worked. I wish I had handled things differently now and taken more control in how we pursued a family.